The invention relates to rescue devices and methods, and more particularly to a device and method of rescuing a victim from a body of water, particularly a victim that has fallen through a layer of ice.
It is well known to utilize ring buoys in the rescue of a victim from a body of water. Such ring buoys, as a rule, utilize plastic having a substantial degree of mechanical strength and requiring a plastic density of the general order of at least about six pounds per cubic foot of plastic. Such plastic buoys are molded to the desired toroidal shape, usually a flattened toroid, and come in various sizes. Suitable ropes are attached to such prior art ring bodies by anchoring the same with bands of fabric or sheet plastic encircling an arcuate portion of the ring completely around a toroid portion.
More complex devices are known to aid in the rescue of victims that have fallen through a layer of ice. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,222 describes a rescue ramp having a dual lobed, hinged inflatable ramp having two pairs of spaced inflatable tubes and a flexible floor mounted between each and connecting the tubes. A rope ladder is mounted to the floors of the lobes. The coiled ramp must be positioned on shore near the water's edge and pointed toward the victim. The ramp tubes are then inflated, extending the rescue ramp with web or floor out and toward the victim, to its extended length. Once the extended ramp is pointed more closely to the victim and anchor lines are secured, a rescuer may travel the floor out to the victim.
Thus, there is a need for an improved device and method of rescuing a victim in a body of water, especially a victim that has fallen through a thin layer of ice. The rescue of such a victim using current methods typically requires excessive time to implement, overly complex equipment, and/or unnecessary risks to the rescuers.